Below is a history of the 37th North Hampshire Regiment from 1783-1881 It shows the Date, War, and Battles fought, some have pictures. Click on the blue links the role the Regiment played. I am trying to research all the battles and as I do I will be updating the Information I have.

The 37th North Hampshire arrived in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland 1783 and served there until 1789 when they were sent back to England until 1793 when they were sent to the Netherlands Campaigns.

Netherlands Campaigns

The Netherlands Campaigns was an abortive one mainly because of the English government (miss use and posting's of the Army) Also they did not trust the alliance with Austria . The Secretary of State for War had tried to do too much with too few troops. The 37th North Hampshire went to the aid of the Dutch on March 21st 1793 they were part of Sir Ralph Abercrombie's brigade which also consisted of the 14th West York , and the 53rd (1st K.S.L.I.) and 2,000 cavalry being subsequently added. But the French were on the retreat. The troops were ordered to join the Duke of York April 4th found the 37th at
villages around Antwerp . The North Hampshire's were divided in half and a couple of Flank Company's joined the flank companies of the line under Major Mathews of the 53rd and the rest went to guard Ostend . Duke of York was ordered to join the Prince of Coburg in investing Conde and Valenciennes

The Flank companies of the line did there fair share of reducing Valenciennes. Before Valenciennes could be invested an entrenched camp of Farmers had to be taken on the high ground. This attack began on May 23rd they stormed the entrenchment in style taking 7 guns and 100 prisoners the rest of the defenders fled, the 37th had 3 casualties Valenciennes could now be besieged. The attack could not take place until June 13th because there were no heavy guns available until then. Valenciennes held out for six weeks and only after the guards supported by some of Abercrombie's men stormed a horn-work Valenciennes fell on the July 28th and cost 150 British casualties the Flank companies of the line lost 16. The Duke of York now moved back to West Flanders gaining several successes on the way and on August 18th he was in Menin. The 37th now rejoined Abercrombie's brigade, which with part of the Duke of York's troops along with the guards moved towards Dunkirk

Dunkirk

Dunkirk was difficult to attack, there was a lack of naval support, and the siege made slow progress. The 37th and 53rd repulsed a vigorous sortie which killed one officer and wounded 3 enlisted men of the 37th a couple of days later repelling another attack which was not as vigorous. The French had gathered a large covering force, which were moved into position. After British troop movements the French withdrew along the line, the 37th apart form its flank companies did not see much action. The 37th were now moved into winter quarters in Oudenarde.

Tournai

Major General H. Fox had the remains of three Regiments, The North Hampshire's, the 14th of Foot, and the 53rd of Foot. This brigade had been reduced by battle casualties to 700 men basically one battalion, and had been judged unfit for service but the men could not be spared. The French had ousted the Austrian and Hanoverian troops around Tournai, the bridge across the River Scheldt, and the village of Pont a Chin and a windmill over looking the bridge.

Major General Fox's mission was to recapture the above and at 6 PM his brigade formed up three hundred yards from Pont a Chin. Captain Lieutenant Lightburne reported the North Hampshire's "in good heart" ' Then send them forward' said Fox. The brigade advanced and as soon as they came within range they Knelt and fired a few

Ceylon

In November 1846 The Regiment moved to Chatham , to embark for Foreign Service with 51 sergeants 21 drummers and 1,000 rank & file. 517 men were under twenty years old. On November and the Regiment was inspected by General Wilbraham so complimentary was his report that The Commander in Chief Wellington issued a most eulogistic farewell order.

After four months travelling they reached Colombo Ceylon on March 10th 1847 . Sickness followed its arrival with over 60 deaths. Four companies were sent on attachment, three to Trincomali and another to Galle . Just before November 1848 disturbances in the Kandy brought part of the regiment into the field, 100 men with a hand full of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment were sent to re-establish order at Wellicodde Goal by forcibly dispersing an armed mob.

The rebellion spread rapidly and by August 6th a full four companies were in the field. During May & November 1849 the regiment was inspected again, and in November 14 deaths were reported. The first three years were uneventful and the regiment had to put up with disease and bad living conditions and drinking was a problem within the ranks. In November 1850 it was reported that no floggings had occurred for two years, twenty eight men died that year from sickness, and by 1857 two hundred men had died during the past ten years and only fifty-five recruits had been sent out to replace them, four hundred and twenty men had been invalided out and sent home

June 4th 1857 Six companies No 2, 7, 8, 9 along with the flank companies embarked for Calcutta , they disembarked in Calcutta on June 13th and headed for Barrackpore. Once at Barrackpore they helped disarm the three Sepoy regiments. Then shortly afterwards No's 2, 8, and 9, being sent by the Grand Trunk Road to Benares, by bullock train, the flank companies and No 7 following a river early in July. The leading companies 2, 8, 9, secured Benares and sent No 9 to Chunar, while No's 2 & 8 then continued upstream to Cawnpore However on reaching Dinapore on July 24th they were told to disembark and help with a disturbance.

The main body of the 10th Regiment of Foot had to disarm three disaffected sepoy regiments in garrison, but the local commander was unequal to this task. The sepoy regiments mutinied with there weapons, and headed westward making for Arrah. So the 37th disembarked 100 men under Captain Harrison and were sent forward by boat to Arrah along the way the boat ran aground and was stuck for quite some time. The rest of the regiment with 160 men of the 10th and 70 Sikhs soon reached Harrisons men and linked up and disembarked 15 miles from Arrah on the afternoon of July 29th. They reached an un-fordable stream were skirmishers began to line the opposite bank but a few well placed shots soon disbursed them. A captain who commanded the 10th was the senior officer in charge and decided to advance at once for Arrah and arrived at the outskirts around 11 PM the captain under the assurances of the local magistrate that opposition was unlikely advanced the troops in column of route without an advance guard or flankers along a narrow causeway flanked by deep ditches, the 10th and Sikhs leading. The enemy suddenly opened fire from the right causing the 10th 80 casualties and 2 officers, the Commander being one of them.

The column was thrown into confusion there was no room to deploy and the men made for the fields. A water tower 400 yards away is where the survivors regrouped, a bugler sounding "Rally" an attempt was made to return fire but did not have much success. A plan was formed to return to the river and boats and again try to advance by river and as the men started to full back the mutineers started sniping, several streams had to be crossed and casualties started mounting up. The survivors rejoined the steamer and headed back to Dinapore, the 37th lost 3 officers and 62 men with another 24 wounded.

The 37th was moved upstream to Ghazipore and a local landowner Rajput Kunwar Singh, had sided with the mutineers and was causing a problem with communications between Calcutter and the force operating in Oudh and the Northwest provinces. His activities detained the 37th and kept them out of all the major operations like the recapture of Lucknow . Kunwar Singh became more aggressive when a field force had left for Lucknow ,, Colonel Milman took to the field from Azimgurh with a small column which included 100 of the 37th upon hearing that Singh was approaching Atrowlea forty miles north of Azimgurh . This column engaged some rebels near Koelsa and sent them fleeing and his Madras Light Cavalry chasing cut up many of the retreating rebels but the main body got away. MIlman halted his force and the men chowed down, when MIlman received a warning that the enemy were advancing in great strength. Milman advance his men and found the enemy in strong position and overwhelming numbers and therefore withdrew his cavalry attacking and his men putting up such a fight that the mutineers who did follow never came to close.

A panic started with the transport wagons and the drivers took off, so Milman had to retreat to Azimgurh. The mutineers now closed in on Azimgurh, Milman had reinforcements arrive 280 of the 37th and the mutineers beset Azimgurh. A sortie was sent out and at first had some initial success but failed to shift the mutineers and 12 casualties accrued. The 13th Light Infantry was sent out from Benares to relieve Azimgurh and to help bring in the convoy two companies of the 37th pushed out to a bridge over the Tone.

Singh however held his ground hoping for another chance to attack a column from Ghazipore. Orders were received not to attack Singh until Brigadier Lugard, whose column was approaching from Lucknow could arrive. When they did arrive Singh decamped and made for Ganges in hope of taking cover in the Jagdispur jungles. Lugard dispatched two columns in pursuit and contained half of the 37th, they met with the enemy at Natherpur the 37th rushed the enemy's position and captured the colours of the 28th Bengal . The enemy took off and the British pursued them and three days later had over taken them, tired from a long march the British troops again attacked and the enemy found it harder to escape and suffered many casualties the main body dispersed, Singh made it to the jungle but died shortly afterwards. In 5 days the men had covered 120 miles in terrible heat and with scanty rations, the 37th had one killed and seven wounded.

By May 1st 1858 six companies were in the Ghazipore district hunting down the dispersed rebels, but by May 16th they rejoined Headquarters. The dispersed rebels were now under the control of Singhs brother Ammar Singh and still capable of causing trouble. Companies No 3, 5, and 6 took to the field under Colonel Turner of the 97th who was charged with keeping the Grand Trunk Road open and were busy for a number of months more marching and chasing then fighting but 70 men of the 37th did help in the capture of 700 rebels at Peroo in September.

Brigadier Douglas decided to carry out a sweep of his area of operations and tried to enclose the enemy but due to bad weather the rebels slipped through a gap Colonel Turners column which contained 3 companies of the 37th chased after them over taking a detachment at Nonadee Village, which they decided to defend and turners column stormed and the mutineers were routed with heavy loss. The 37th suffered 1 killed and four wounded.

Later another company under Turner left Sasseram on December 12th and advanced towards Bugha Maroo Pass in the Kaimur Hills where a strong body of men well situated behind prepared defences were hold up, however the 37th with a company from the 29th flanked and stormed there position and routed the rebels.

The recapture of Lucknow broke the rebel's sprite and by 1859 the 37th rejoined its Headquarters in Ghazipore. The men's exertions had told on their health, throughout 1859 the sick call often exceeded 150 and in January 1860 found the regiment with over 170 sick and in need of change. A fire in the men barracks in Ghazipore and a severe outbreak of cholera sent the deaths in April and May up to 80. In February 1861 the men were asked for volunteers for transfer into corps remaining in India and 270 accepted which left some 550 ranks to embark and by March 7th the regiment had sailed for England .